The present invention relates to novel compounds which exhibit taste modifying properties. In particular, aminomethylsulfonic acid containing aryl ureas and physiologically acceptable salts thereof inhibit sweet and/or bitter tastes. The present invention also relates to compositions containing these novel compounds and to methods of inhibiting sweet and/or bitter tastes in foods, beverages and pharmaceuticals.
Sweetness inhibitors are known in the art and are useful in food products where sweetness intensity needs to be lessened. Sweetness inhibitors are known that inhibit the sweet taste of natural and high potency sweeteners including sugar, other carbohydrate sweeteners, sugar alcohols, high fructose corn syrup, proteins, dipeptides (aspartame, alitame), saccharin, acesulfam K (Ace-K) and trichlorogalactosucrose (TGS).
European Patent Application 86109045.4 (published Jan. 7, 1987 as publication number 0 207 515) discloses alkali metal and alkaline metal salts of heptyl sulfonate and octylsulfonate as sweetness inhibitors. UK Patent Application GB 2,139,470 A discloses aryl carboxylic acid salts as sweetness inhibitors of sugar or sugar alcohols. U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,565 discloses arylalkyl ketones as sweetness inhibitors. U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,240 discloses substituted benzoic acids, benzenesulfonic acids, benzenephosphoric acids and benzeneboronic acids as sweetness inhibitors. Uk Patent Application GB 2,180,534 A discloses benzoyloxyacetic acid derivatives useful as sweetness inhibitors. Ethers and thioethers of acetic derivatives are disclosed as taste modifiers and sweetness inhibitors of sugar and sugar alcohols in European Patent Application 85302546.8 (Publication No. 0 159 864 published Oct. 30, 1985). Likewise, the sweetness of sugars and sugar alcohols is inhibited by phenylalkanoic acid salts as disclosed in European Patent Application 84302496.9 (Publication No. 0 125 049 published Nov. 14, 1984).
Many of the known sweetness inhibitors have a bitter taste. The present aryl urea taste modifiers are tasteless at use levels and inhibit both sweet and organic, bitter tasting substances.